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Thursday, 28 February 2013

Frost Fire Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway

I'm so excited to be a part of the Frost Fire blog tour! Thanks to Giselle at Xpresso Book Tours for organizing it :)Frost Fire is written by Olivia Rivers, a high school student, and it's incredible how beautifully written it is for someone so young!

“Magic is just like love, Allai. It won’t wait for permission before it destroys you.”

Like sand in an hourglass, Allai’s future is dwindling away. She’s spent her entire life fighting the Mages who threaten humanity, and dreams of someday eradicating magic. But all it takes is an anonymous phone call for the truth to spill out: Allai is the one thing she despises most.

She’s a Mage.

Though ancient law mandates Allai’s death, she still has one last chance of survival. His name is Drake Rhaize, and he swears he can lead Allai to a sanctuary for Mages. Allai hasn’t seen Drake in years, but she remembers him as the Demon boy who used to hold her close and softly whisper that he’d keep her safe. But Drake has changed since then: He’s now suspected of murder, and has been out-casted for betraying his own kind.

While Allai doesn’t trust Drake, she has no choice but to put her life in his hands and hope he can get her to safety. Because Allai’s father has hired a pack of Demons to bring her back to him, dead or alive–and Demons never stop the hunt.

I’m not going to let
anyone hurt you. Okay?

When I started reading this book, I honestly couldn't believe it was written by a high school student. But it's true - Olivia Rivers is I think about a year older than me, and she's written such an amazing book! Frost Fire is a fantastic paranormal read, and it's incredibly well paced. I loved the magic, the action, and the romance in it.

There were quite a few twists and turns in this book, and I loved that. Reading this book is like riding on a roller-coaster. There's a huge twist right at the end, and it left me reeling with shock. I felt a physical need for the sequel right after I finished the last page! The different paranormal creatures in Frost Fire intrigued me, and I was glad that they were original and not played out like vampires and werewolves.

Frost Fire is told in both Allai and Drake's points of view. To be honest, I didn't warm to Allai much in this book, because she spent most of it fainting and crying and in pain. Though I think that once she gets used to her magic, she'll be a really strong protagonist, and I can't wait to see that in the next book. Allai is very determined, and she's extremely brave, too. But she also makes pretty rash decisions. In fact, there are a few things she did that I wanted to knock her over the head for. I do hope she learns from her mistakes, though. I liked her unwavering faith in Drake, and her refusal to believe that he could ever harm her. She's really trusting of him, but with good reason. He was always there for her when they were kids, and he swore to always protect her.

Okay that brings me to Drake. I loved reading from his perspective, because he's such a complex character. He's a tortured guy, torn between wanting to save Allai and wanting to become something good, something better than what his father is. He realizes that he can do both, but that it won't be easy. Drake is on his way to becoming the most powerful demon out there, but he's not arrogant or vain at all. He really does have a good heart, and we see a totally different side of him later on in the novel. He seems harsh and dispassionate in the beginning, but Allai manages to soften him. Drake's sweet and romantic words and gestures sent chills down my spine. He's one of the awesomest book boys I've met so far, and is a major contributor to why I liked this book so much!

Luke is another character I really enjoyed reading about. He's a Persequor, and he's basically Allai's best friend. Probably her only friend in the Sentinel, which is why they're so close. Allai's father doesn't like them hanging around together, but there isn't much he can do about it. Luke's good for Allai - he's wise, and keeps her under control. He also comforts her when she needs it, and her safety comes before everything else. I like the fact that he calls her by a nickname, Allai-bird, and that they banter a lot. It shows how easy and effortless their friendship is, and how much they value it.

Have I mentioned that I love books with road trips in them? Well, I do. And Frost Fire's got a great one, with Drake and Allai desperately trying to reach the Caedes as fast as they can. Road trips always bring people closer to each other, at least in books, and that's exactly what happened here. Drake grows more comfortable around Allai, and soon all the barriers between them that formed after they were separated as kids suddenly disappear. That moment is amazing, when Drake admits to Allai that he didn't want anything between them to change, as well as what happens afterwards. Though I think you might have a good idea of that!

Overall, Frost Fire is an awesome debut from Olivia Rivers, and I'm hoping for an equally exceptional sequel! There's a lot more that Allai and Drake have to discover about themselves, and I can't wait to read all about how they decide to do that. This book is a great introduction to a series that I know I will love. The romance was very sweet and believable, the action was heart-stopping, and Drake was the cherry on the top!

*Thank you to Giselle for choosing me for this blog tour and providing me with a copy for review*